Chapter 8

-Jimmy-

I-I don't even know what-no, how to feel right now. I guess you could say my heart feels as if it was ripped out, stepped on, and mutilated by an angry stray growlithe. How could I be s-so in-insensitive? How could I be so submissive to the fact that she looked s-so damn pale back there. S-So very, very cold, but yet-so darn beautiful. What with her effervescent blue hair that fits her perfectly, projecting her almost too well. Then there was her peaceful eyes, now closed calmly as if comforted-at ease. Beneath I knew rested glossy, fluorescent green eyes. They sent fluttering butterfree lose in my stomach time and time again, turning it into hopeless knots. There was her beautifully chiseled body. She was gifted with perfect curves, toned legs, and dare I say it, a plump set of breasts. Then was her perfectly sculpted face. Her stout lips perched below her adorable nose. She had slightly noticeable dimples-the kind that tickled you inside. She was spared of acne as was I. And the best of all, she had an amazing personality. She was, oh Arceus who am I kidding, she was perfect!

I sat next to her, laying my upper half on the clean hospital bed she rested on. I hated hospitals, but not enough to stay away when someone special was there-Marina in this case. She looked so peaceful. It kind of balanced my anxiety with the knowing that she was in good care. I shifted my eyes curiously to look outside, where a branch with flowers bloomed. They were pastel pink with splotches of white here and there. Every so often a wind would come and sweep the peddles off their flowers. They fluttered and danced gracefully through the air only to land two stories below. Several ledyba mounted the branches, their stunning spotted crimson bodies hanging onto the bistre tree limbs so they wouldn't 'fly away' so to speak.

And so at that, I turned back to the flawless girl beside me. Just looking at her sleepiness made myself tired. I felt as if I was drifting away like those ledyba.


-Marina-

I was surrounded in cold and blackness for the longest time and things-they were coming to me. There was a man lying on a bed. I couldn't make out a face but I felt that they were frail. They were sick, pained, and worst of all, helpless. There was another person there too. They stood from their chair aside the small bed and were glowering down, tears of frustration in their eyes. They knew they couldn't do anything, yet they still stayed by their side, gripping their hand tightly with grief. They were alone-no one there to comfort them or to back them up or even tell them it would be okay even though it wouldn't. But somehow I subliminally knew that the girl didn't want anyone to be there. I soon recognized who that person was. It was me.

I was saying something, but what? I couldn't live with myself if I didn't know. Perking my ears up wasn't helping. I just HAD to know! But-it was fading, fading so quickly that I lost my breath. I ran and ran in this clouded dream world, trying to catch up to the vision, but to my dismay, it only kept getting further and further away. Maybe if I stretched my arms out and tried to grab it-no. This didn't work either. I was screaming now, desperate to know what this whole dream was telling me. Was it just my mind playing cruel tricks on me, or was this foreshadowing my unavoidable fate that lies ahead? It was barely a speck now, and things were phasing away.

I jerked myself upwards, slightly gasping with the wind being knocked out of me. It seemed so dramatic-well in my head anyways. I was back to the real world, where there sat a dedicated Jimmy, peacefully sleeping at the bottom of the bed, awaiting the moment I would wake up. He looked so-cute. He must be tired since the location of the sun in the sky indicated to be around noontime and knowing him, he would've probably stayed as long as he could last night and was the first to arrive in the morning-not getting any shut eye in the meantime. I guess there's no point in waiting for him to wake up if he's so sound asleep.

I too laid my head back lightly against the marshmallow pillow, sinking into the feathers. My eyes shut. I was...falling..as-

"Marina? Are you awake?"

I hoisted myself up rather abruptly, seeing the owner of the calm voice.

"Thank Arceus you're okay! H-How are you feeling?" they asked. My vision sharped; it was Jimmy.

"I feel washed out," I croaked. "And-tired."

"Oh." He knelt over closer to me as if to inspect me over for bruises or something. I just tilted my head, glancing him over too. Those deep blue eyes of his-they filled with slight worry and timidness. He pulled away from me into a more comfortable position, struggling a half smile. "They said you should be okay to check out once you're restored."

"Oh-alright." I crooned as if I knew exactly what he was talking about-of course I didn't though. Looking to my left I had just noticed there was an IV attached to my arm connected to a containment of clear liquid. "What the heck is that!" I nearly jumped out of my skin! I hated needles-especially inside of me.

"It's an IV that is restoring your water levels to normal." he informed so knowledgeably. "You were dehydrated Marina."

What? After all of this I was dehydrated?!

"How?" I asked.

"You don't get enough fluids and-

"I already know that." I grumbled. Somehow I feel that this was a joke to try and cheer me up. "What happened to me yesterda-"

"Shh- don't worry about that right now." he whispered sweetly, resting a finger on my parted lips. "You still look a bit pale. Just focus on relaxing"

"I'd rather be closer to you I-If you don't mind."

At this he scooted his chair closer up to the bed.

"Not like that," I pinched the bridge of my nose, fighting a smile. "I wan't you to hug me silly."

His face flushed a pink that was unnameable. I wasn't sure if he was expressing shyness, affection, or embarrassment-either way it was extremely adorable. I wanted to pinch those blushing cheeks, but knew that he would huff and forfeit the hugging, so I didn't. Instead I tugged him close so he rested his lithe body against mine. He moved his arms beneath me fluidly, holding me in his loving hug.

Retrieving his hug, he sat up on the bed where I pushed up from my laying position to sit next to him. At this, he took my chilly hand into his caring grip and wrapped his free arm around my waist. H-He was so warm. I loved it, savored it.

"I think I'll call you Cuddle Bug." he teased. "It suits you well."

He ever so lightly planted a kiss on my lips, very gently in doing so. I smiled exuberantly until something disrupted the almost perfect moment. It was a knock. More preciously, it was Clair, entering the room gently despite her rigid nature.

"Am I interrupting you two love birds?"

"A-Ah, no it's fine." assured Jimmy. "Come in."

She entered the room and maneuvered her way over to us, ever so slightly shaking her hips in doing so, but manipulating it appear a non-slutty fashion. She wore something more casual than her usual attire-now sporting a half green-half black buttoned down, long sleeved shirt and a pare of black cargo pants that fit perfectly to her slightly muscular, yet still curvy body. She finished it off bravely with black steel-towed boots that cankered and thumped with every step she took.

"How are you Clair?" I asked limply from my current state of exhaustion.

"How am I?" she said with freezing eyes that pierced into me. "Shouldn't I be asking you how you are?"

I shifted uncomfortably under the pure white covers, still in shock over the whole thing.

"How are you holding up?" she rephrased in a more gentle tone.

"I-I'm feeling better," I admitted. "Much better."

"Good to hear." she snorted. "If you guys are feeling up to it later, come over to my Gym. I don't have anything much going on today."

"That'd be nice of you Clair." Jimmy thanked. "We may just take you up on that."

"Very good. Now if you excuse me, I have to get back to the Gym. I didn't put up the 'Closed' sign and I wouldn't want to turn off any enthusiastic trainers, now would I? Not to mention that if I were in this hospital another second I might jump out of my skin."

Jimmy laughed lightly at that and we nodded, thanking her for stopping by. It was a nice gesture of her, even if she was antsy about leaving so quickly. And in no time, she was off, leaving us to bask in our passionate hugging once more.

He pulled me into his chest gently and rubbed the back of my head so deftly that I couldn't help but shiver under his warmth. He was pretty darn good at this whole 'comfort' thing.

"Everything is going to be okay," he hummed. "Cuddle Bug."